Browns defensive coordinator Rob Ryan said he worked with free safety Brodney Pool on his tackling after Pool missed Donald Driver on the receiver's 71-yard touchdown catch in Sunday's 31-3 loss to Green Bay.

Asked what he said to Pool, Ryan said, ''First of all, ‘Why the [heck] did you miss the tackle?’ and then second of all, ‘We have to do it right and we have to do it better.’

Browns kicker Phil Dawson, who has missed the past five games with a right calf injury, appears to have a good chance of playing Sunday in Chicago. He was listed as probable on the injury report.

Dawson kicked field goals during the first 30 minutes of practice open to the media Friday, a first since he was hurt in practice on Sept. 27.It also seems to be a good sign that Dawson has been constantly checking the Weather Channel for Sunday's forecast.

The Browns might have staved off the Packer avalanche a little longer in Sunday's 31-3 loss to Green Bay if they'd scored on their second possession.

But quarterback Derek Anderson's pass to Mike Furrey into triple coverage on third and goal from the 4 fell incomplete and was nearly intercepted. Anderson said running back Jerome Harrison, coming around the right side, was not a better option.

(Opening Statement)- “It’s a really disappointing performance across the board. I don’t think we played very well. I don’t think we coached very well. The main thing to me is the way that we played. I thought that we had been making a lot of progress in terms of the type of football that we play. The intensity with which we play, the way that we finish plays, things like that and that wasn’t there today. It has to be there every week. It has to be there very week, regardless of what challenges you face throughout the week, because there are going to be challenges every single week that we play. You have to be able to get to that same level when it comes to Sunday, and we weren’t there. I thought Green Bay played well and we had some opportunities that we didn’t take advantage of, not being able to score on the one yard line, giving up big plays defensively with missed tackles, you can’t do that. You can’t do it and expect to be successful. You can’t.”

Browns linebacker David Bowens discussed the team's defensive struggles after giving up 460 yards in a 31-3 loss to Green Bay Sunday:

''We can't have half the guys playing for a shot and half the guys playing for a run and their backs are turned. A lot of it is man coverage. When we have man coverage, a lot of the secondary's backs are turned and they can't see if it's run or pass. We've got to raise our awareness level.''

The Browns' top two tight ends, Robert Royal and Steve Heiden, are both inactive for Sunday's home game against the Green Bay Packers.

Royal suffered from the flu last week, injured his hamstring last Sunday at Pittsburgh and also a ligament injury to a finger on his right hand. Heiden, inactive for the second consecutive game, seems to have had a setback after undergoing reconstructive knee surgery last December.

Browns offensive coordinator Brian Daboll on gun-slinging quarterback Derek Anderson's propensity to throw interceptions: "We've talked to Derek about playing within himself, being a smart distributor of the ball and trying to do the right thing on every play...(When he's) trying to do a little too much, is what sometimes puts the team in jeopardy."

Browns beat writers got their first look at the multi-million dollar renovations of the Berea headquarters by coach Eric Mangini Friday. The consensus was the upgrades brought the facility to the first-class status of some other NFL teams.

Because it was raining heavily when practice began, Mangini allowed the media to cut through the building to the indoor field.

The flu - including two confirmed cases of the H1N1 strain - hit the Browns hard earlier in the week with the worst of it coming Wednesday when 12 players were told to stay home and take appropriate medicine.

By Thursday, two of the team's main players had returned to work in linebacker Kamerion Wimbley and nose tackle Shaun Rogers - two defensive players the Browns missed being 100 percent Sunday at Pittsburgh.

Browns inside linebacker D'Qwell Jackson underwent pectoral surgery Wednesday at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York, his agent Brian Mackler said.

Jackson was placed on injured reserve Tuesday, ending his season. He was hurt late in the second quarter of Sunday's loss at Pittsburgh. He's led the Browns in tackles each of the past two seasons and was second as a rookie in 2006.

Browns coach Eric Mangini spent the first portion of his Wednesday press conference not talking football, but instead giving an update on the health status for a team that has been hit hard by the flu.

The virus began to touch the team over the weekend when linebacker Kamerion Wimbley was sent home from Pittsburgh before Sunday's game even started and veteran defensive end Shaun Rogers struggled to play through the game while feeling under the weather.

The Browns signed free agent tight end Michael Gaines Wednesday to bolster the team's banged-up group of tight ends. They also added rookie Colin Cloherty to the practice squad.

Browns veteran tight end Steve Heiden, who was inactive last week for the first time this season, could be feeling some residual effects from the major knee injury he suffered last season in a game against Philadephia on Dec. 15th. Heiden had surgery to repair his ACL shortly afterwards.

A second-quarter injury to Browns inside linebacker D'Qwell Jackson meant the first significant action of the season for rookie Kaluka Maiava, a fourth-round pick from USC.

Surprisingly, Maiava was the coaches' choice over David Veikune, a second-round pick from Hawaii. Although he's now listed inside, Veikune worked both inside and outside during training camp, which may have slowed his development.

With the Browns dropping their 12th consecutive loss to the Steelers Sunday at Heinz Field, Browns offensive lineman Eric Steinbach had this to say about the losing streak:

"Coach Mangini’s here, a new coaching staff, new coach, new players...I don’t care if it was 30 in a row, we’re starting fresh this year. There is no 11 losses in a row with this squad because it’s a new team."

Sunday proved to be a frustrating day of missed opportunities for Browns defensive back Brandon McDonald.

Not only was Cleveland's defense shredded for 417 passing yards by Steelers quarterback Ben Rothlisberger, but McDonald dropped an interception, missed a key tackle on a Pittsburgh reverse play and suffered an injury that left him unable to lift his right shoulder while dressing after the game.

Veteran linebacker David Bowens enjoyed his best game in a Browns uniform Sunday in Cleveland's 27-14 loss at Pittsburgh.

Bowens, who signed with Cleveland as an unrestricted free agent in March after spending the previous season with the New York Jets, registered seven tackles (five solo), a sack, another quarterback hit, a pass defended and recovered a fumble.

Browns linebacker Kamerion Wimbley accompanied the team to Pittsburgh for today's game, but was sent back to Cleveland Sunday morning suffering from the flu-like symptoms. Nordonia-native Jason Trusnik is scheduled to start in Wimbley's place.

Browns coach Eric Mangini has seen rookie center Alex Mack make strides in the past few weeks.

"I think the main thing he’s done is slow down a little bit,'' Mangini said. ''That happens a lot of times your first few games in, you’re getting to the right spots, but you want to get there so quickly, you want to make sure you execute the assignment, you want to do all the things right, that sometimes you’re not as patient as you should be on the first level. You’re not as patient as you should be with the things that you have to do prior to executing that part of the assignment. He’s slowed down. The game has slowed down a little bit. As we go, it should get better and better.

"No, that indicates a house is up for sale. I appreciate the free advertising though. Hopefully I'll get a bid. But it doesn't have anything to do with what we're here for ... It's a private issue that doesn't have anything to do with what this team's preparing to do right now."

Browns coach Eric Mangini practically rolled his eyes when it was suggested that Steelers strong safety Troy Polamalu seems likely to return this week after missing all but two quarters of the season with a sprained left knee.

That scenario appeared even more likely Wednesday when Polamalu participated fully in practice after being limited last week.

In his first game with the New York Jets, former Browns wide receiver Braylon Edwards was a big factor.

Against Miami last night, Edwards had five receptions for 64 yards and a touchdown. While the Jets lost 31-27, several of Edwards' catches were difficult grabs. On a 34-yard completion from quarterback Mark Sanchez, Edwards tippy-toed down the sideline on a spectacular catch setting up a one-yard touchdown run.

With the wind gusting up to 35 mph Sunday during a 6-3 victory over the Buffalo Bills in Ralph Wilson Stadium and his targets dropping at least eight passes, it may have been hard to evaluate the performance of quarterback Derek Anderson.

In his second start of the season, Anderson completed 2 of 17 passes for 23 yards. He also threw an interception and finished with a 15.1 rating. That dropped his completion percentage to 46.4 and his rating to 39.0, with one touchdown and five interceptions.

Browns coach Eric Mangini stuck to his story regarding the shoulder injury suffered by rookie running back James Davis.

According to a report by ESPN's Adam Schefter, Davis suffered a torn labrum the week before the Cincinnati game in a post-practice ''opportunity period.'' Schefter said Davis was hit by a linebacker wearing pads when he was without pads.

When asked how Wednesday's trade of receiver Braylon Edwards would affect the team, Ryan answered, ''I thought you were talking about that missed field goal. Did I say that out loud? Somebody research it, I never said anything. That is disappointing.''

The Browns' leading tackler, linebacker D'Qwell Jackson, was listed as doubtful for Sunday's game at Buffalo.

Jackson was jogging in the back of the Browns' fieldhouse during the portion of drills open to the media Friday. Jackson did not practice Friday for the second consecutive day with a hamstring injury he said happened in practice. He was limited on Wednesday.

Just-traded Browns receiver Braylon Edwards should love the reception he got from the Jets -- at least from their web site. Streaming across the top of the web page for most of the day was his picture with the headline, ''Braylon Edwards. Get your No. 17 jersey. New York's newest Jet.''

Jets coach Rex Ryan didn't seem concerned about a possible league suspension over the Monday morning incident in which Edwards allegedly punched promoter Edward Givens outside the View Ultralounge and Nightclub in Cleveland.

The Browns' defense got ''a little bit wide in one lane'' on a 15-yard scramble by Bengals quarterback Carson Palmer that set up the game-winning field goal in overtime Sunday.

On fourth down and 11 from the Cleveland 41, Palmer rambled up the wide-open middle, setting up Shayne Graham's 31-yard kick with four seconds remaining in the extra period that gave Cincinnati a 23-20 victory.

Starting cornerback Brandon McDonald was benched in Sunday's 23-20 overtime loss to Cincinnati, but it lasted only one series. Safety Mike Adams started in his place, then took over at nickel back for Hank Poteat. Receiver Mike Furrey was later inserted at safety in the dime defense.

The same thing happened to McDonald last year at Buffalo, but he sat out for only one play as the Browns picked off a pass on the first defensive snap.

Six-year veteran safety Mike Adams started at cornerback in place of third-year man Brandon McDonald Sunday against Cincinnati.

McDonald had been burned for big plays in each of the Browns' first three games. For Adams, it was the first start of the season and his sixth in three years in Cleveland. In his career, Adams has played in 71 games with 24 starts.

Browns running back Jamal Lewis and kicker Phil Dawson were listed as inactive for the second consecutive week as the Browns take on the visiting Cincinnati Bengals.

Lewis has been sidelined with a hamstring injury suffered at Denver, while Dawson suffered a strained right calf before last weekend's game at Baltimore. Ex-Cowboy Billy Cundiff will kick for the Browns. During warmups, he struggled with the wind when attempting field goals from 42 yards.

Browns kicker Phil Dawson missed practice for the second consecutive day. Dawson was inactive Sunday at Baltimore with a strained right calf, first appearing on the injury report on the Friday before the Ravens' game, and did not practice Wednesday.

It was the fifth game missed by Dawson in his Browns' career, which began in 1999.